SUPER ROBOT TAISEN S ZERO RELOAD
Here I am! This fanfiction sure took its sweet time getting updated... but at least, I've managed to scrounge up enough time to continue it! And what a time it is for our heroes... Kira and his friends, along with the trio of Kain, Tapp and Light, have just witnessed the demise of their home colony thanks to Giganos Empire's Mass Driver, and they've got the joint forces of Giganos and ZAFT hot on their trail! The Strike Gundam and the Dragonars are safely on the Idaho and Archangel's side by now, but if our heroes don't get their game up, they might not be for long. And just to make things more interesting, Giganos is about to send in its own aces as well. On the other hand, our heroes will soon make some new acquaintances and retrieve an old one... and some of those who are following my story so far will be pleasantly surprised! Others, well... not so much.
This chapter should wrap up the Dragonar / Gundam SEED arc for now, as we will later turn our attention to the older colonies, where Neo Zeon is hoping to spread its influence... and where another character who is very familiar to UC Gundam fans will move his first steps in the world of heroics! Think you can guess who it is? Well, I think I've given away a lot of things already...
Anyway, for now... enjoy the chapter! I hope it will be satisfying and makes up for the long wait!
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Chapter 7 - Silent Run
Onboard the Vesalius, where the ZAFT aces had retreated following the destruction of Heliopolis, a meeting was taking place: the pilots that had tried to infiltrate Heliopolis and run away with the G-Weapons were now gathered around a table, watching a recording of the action that had recently taken place around the doomed colony, up to the impact with the asteroid shot by Giganos' Mass Driver. Along with Athrun, Nicol, Dearka, Yzak and Shiho, there were also Miguel Aiman, Rau Le Creuset, and the Vesalius commanding officer, Frederik Ades. On the screen, several scenes in quick succession were playing out, depicting the fight between the Strike Gundam and Miguel's borrowed GINN. It had to be said, for a supposed first-timer, the amount of skill shown by the pilot of the Strike Gundam was rather impressive.
"It is most fortunate that you managed to gather these images of the battle, Miguel." Rau Le Creuset said, his ever-present mask on his face, and his lips slightly raised in an interested smile. "Were it not for these as proof, I'd have become a laughing stock for failing to capture a supposedly easy mark. And, if the words of our Giganos allies are to be believed, the Dragonar units have given them a hard time as well. We might be looking at a tougher situation than we first anticipated."
Athrun, however, was only half-listening to his commander. His mind was continuously drifting off to the unexpected meeting with his old friend, and the fact that he had somehow managed to best Miguel despite that having been his first time in a Mobile Suit cockpit. And he could not stop asking himself several returning questions. Why was Kira there? Why was he helping the Earth Alliance... and how did he end up there, of all places? What had passed as a simple seek-and-capture mission had turned out to be a lot more complicated…
"I believe you are fully aware of the incomplete status to the machines' original OS, with that in mind, I have no idea why this lone unit manoeuvred so well. But I want to make one thing perfectly clear, we cannot afford to turn a blind eye and allow them to have possession of it" Rau continued, knowing as much as he hoped to avoid resorting to this, there seemed to be no other option in dealing with the Strike and the newly constructed warship. "If we cannot capture it, then we shall destroy it along with the Dragonars, that new warship and the cargo ship. Don't underestimate them."
Yzak, Dearka, Shiho, Miguel, Athrun and Nicol all saluted to Rau as they understood the situation they're in and needed to stop the enemy right here and there while certain that Zelman was informing Olor and Matthew onboard the Gamow of the same briefing. "For now, I think we should devote our attention to another urgent matter. That is, where the Legged Ship and the Earth Alliance cargo are supposed to be heading next." Ades stated as its best that they needed to be prepared for their next move soon enough. "There aren't many places they could go next, after all... not with what they're holding, at least."
"I agree. Artemis would be their best bet, I suppose." Le Creuset mused aloud. "Catching up with the Legged Ship before they actually reach the place would be our best bet, in that case. I don't think I need to remind you that Artemis' defensive coating might make a direct attack a dicey proposition at best. Therefore, as soon as our reinforcements join up with us, we'll resume pursuit."
"Sir," Shiho raised her hand. "May I ask what our reinforcements will consist of?"
"Marshall Iskandar Guiltorre himself assured me that Giganos will send their elite squad to join up with us." the masked man answered calmly. "A whole team of Metal Armors, under the command of Captain Meio Plato, will assist us in our operations."
There were no objections from any of those present. Captain Meio Plato, also known by his nickname of "The Blue Hawk of Giganos", was well known for his skill and efficiency in carrying out his missions, and was one of the best pilots Giganos Empire had to offer, disregarding some unwelcome elements... This, coupled with his last-generation Metal Armor Falguen, made Meio Plato one of the most dreaded field commanders in the war between the Earth Alliance and Giganos.
"Well, that's good to know." Dearka murmured. "With that guy on our side, there is no way the Legged Ship could escape us!"
Yzak sighed in frustration, not sharing his dark-skinned friend's optimism. In his point of view, Earth or Giganos, their so-called allies were still Naturals... why would they need their help taking down the Legged Ship and the escaped cargo? He just didn't see the point, but he wasn't about to discuss his commander's order.
"That is good, then." Ades said. "We should rendezvous with our Giganos allies in a few hours. For the moment, we'll be trailing the Legged Ship and try not to lose them. After that, we'll plan our next attack."
No one had anything to say to that, as the Vesalius and the Gamow continued on their way to pursue the Archangel and the Idaho...
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"Well, have to say, it's quite a nice mess we're in..." Lt. Mu La Flaga commented as he stepped onto the Archangel's bridge, being greeted by Murrue and Natarle... and by the unexpected sight of a group of teenagers gathered together and looking all quite disoriented and confused. Which was understandable, the blond Lieutenant thought to himself, considering they had just witnessed their home city getting blown to dust... but it sure didn't make things easier for the Archangel crew. "So, to make a resume, ZAFT has managed to grab four of the five G-Weapons, and all we've got now is my damaged Moebius Zero, the Strike... and those three prototypes... the Dragonar, if memory serves... they've embarked on the Idaho. Things are looking up."
Natarle Badgiruel sighed at Mu's sarcasm. "Well, when you put it this way, Lieutenant La Flaga... in fact, we can say that ZAFT and Giganos' actions caught us all by surprise. We were not prepared for them to launch an attack on a civilian colony."
"And now, we've gotten a group of civilians involved as well... which, for obvious reasons, means we are not at liberty to let them go." Murrue continued. "Furthermore, one of them is the only one who can pilot the Strike at the moment..."
"Understandable..." Mu answered, taking a good look at the group of Heliopolis teenagers. "By the way, I haven't even introduced myself properly. Lieutenant Mu La Flaga, Earth Alliance forces, 7th Orbital Fleet. I was acting as an escort for the orbital transport vehicle that was supposed to bring the G-Weapons' designated pilots to Heliopolis... but the convoy was attacked by a squadron of Neo Zeon and ZAFT units during the last leg of our journey. I was lucky to get on my Moebius Zero and fight my way through the ambush... but I'm afraid that the transport vehicle and its crew didn't get so lucky."
Both Natarle and Murrue felt their blood run cold at that. The ZAFT / Neo Zeon / Giganos alliance sure had left nothing up to chance, and they would do well to count their blessings in getting there relatively intact. "In other words, even if we actually were to recapture the G-Weapons by a stroke of luck... we don't have the qualified personnel to pilot them." Murrue stated. "Not to mention, those machines' OS is apparently a lot more complicated than we initially anticipated. Naturals just aren't able to control those things."
"It's just our luck..." Natarle sighed. The previous hours had been nothing but bad news, one after the other. To top it off, there was the fact that most of the Earth Union's commanding officers who were present at Heliopolis or in its proximities had been killed either by the attacking enemy or in the blast that destroyed the colony. The only surviving officers were herself, Murrue, Petty Officers Jackie Tonomura, Dalida Lolaha Chandra II, Romero Pal and Arnold Neumann... and a few others, of which Murrue Ramius was the highest in grade. Which, of course, meant that now she was the de facto captain of the Archangel, a position she had taken with great reluctance.
"Anyway, Lt. La Flaga... we appreciate your hard work up until now. I am Lt. Murrue Ramius of the Earth Alliance Space Forces." she said a little despondently, doing a military salute which Mu immediately reciprocated.
"Ensign Natarle Badgiruel, again of the Earth Alliance Space Forces." Natarle introduced herself. "We are pleased to have been able to count on your assistance."
"My pleasure, I can assure you." Mu answered. "Anyway, with that out of the way... I would ask for permission to come onboard. I know my Moebius Zero is a little banged up at the moment, but every little bit help, I guess."
"Oh, of course, Lieutenant La Flaga. Permission granted." Murrue answered hastily. Having a pilot of Mu La Flaga's skills onboard would have been at least of some help, and his Moebius Zero could easily be repaired, in any event. That was something positive, at least.
"Thank you, Captain Ramius." he answered. "Also, if it is not too much trouble, I would like a word with those civilians you saved during the attack. Is the Strike pilot still among them?"
Murrue nodded. "He is. And... yes, I have no objections. He's the kid with the brown messy hair, standing near that console." she answered, nodding in the direction of Kira and his friends, who seemed to be waiting for the officers to finish up their conversation and pay a little attention to them at last. If nothing else, they were eager to know what would become of them now... His name is Kira Yamato. Thanks to his efforts, we were successful in defeating a ZAFT GINN in addition to securing this last unit."
"What? Fought off a GINN?" asked Natarle, finding it hard to believe that a civilian managed to defeat a GINN with little to no training. "That kid actually did it?"
"Yes, I see…" Mu smiled and waved to the still confused and frightened teens - although some of them, namely Tolle, seemed to be handling the stress much better than others. "I apologize for barging in, kids..." he said. "I am Lt. Mu La Flaga, and I'll be joining the Archangel crew, at least temporarily. Are you the one who was piloting the Strike, back there at the colony?"
Kira and his friends stared at the blond lieutenant for a second, before Kira cleared his throat and answered. "Yes... that was me." he said slowly, though it wouldn't be long before Mu decided to ask the next question.
"So tell me, you're a Coordinator?"
Everyone present in the hanger were confused, though Murrue had her suspicions as Kira managed to handle himself in using the Strike without too much of a problem despite his status as a civilian. "Yes" Kira slowly nodded his head, resulting in soldiers aiming their rifles at Kira as they thought he was with ZAFT and then Tolle getting in between the soldiers to keep them from opening fire.
"What do you think you're doing?!" he exclaimed, wondering what problem the crew members in the hanger had with Kira being a Coordinator. "Kira's a Coordinator but not an enemy. Didn't you see for yourselves what just happened? You must be out of your minds, all of you!"
"Tolle's right!" added Mir, standing by Tolle's side in defending one of their friends. "It was Kira who fought to defend us from the ZAFT Mobile Suits!"
Even Sai and Kuzzey were sticking up for Kira, which made him rather surprised to see what was going on before him. They're all… he thought the moment he saw his friends defending him right before his very eyes, not knowing what to say at the moment.
"Stand back, Kira. Leave this to us" said Sai, not wanting to allow the soldiers anywhere near their friend.
"That's right, what are friends for?" Kuzzey would be damned if anything were to happen to Kira after everything they've all been through even before the whole mess started. "Plus we owe you one."
Luckily, Murrue stepped in as she didn't need civilian causalities on her mind. "Lower your rifles, men." she ordered the troops, much to the surprise of everyone present as well as the relief of Kira's friends. "He's not our enemy."
The soldiers were at a loss of words but stood down, Natarle then approached the brown-haired female Lieutenant. "Lieutenant, I request an explanation" she spoke to Murrue in a whisper-like tone.
"If you think about it, it's no great mystery. After all, the Heliopolis colony is controlled by a neutral nation. It would make sense to find some Coordinators who decided to take refuge here in order to avoid any involvement in the war" Murrue replied, feeling it made sense that there would be Naturals and Coordinators residing within Heliopolis due to belonging to the Orb Union in question and changed her glance towards Kira. "Am I wrong, Kira?"
"No, you're right especially since I'm a first-generation Coordinator."
"Which means of course, that your parents are Naturals" began Mu, feeling somewhat embarrassed for causing such a scene over asking what he thought was a minor question before. "Well I apologize, didn't intend to cause such a fuss. I was only curious that's all. Nothing more than that."
Hearing that Kira was a first-generation Coordinator did help ease some of the tension caused earlier. "As we made our way here, I watched the guys who were supposed to pilot this thing go through a bunch of simulations. They really had to struggle just to get it to move" the Hawk continued from where he left off, feeling that it makes him wonder what the surviving crew members intend to do next. "Oh and don't worry, kid, I don't care what your genes are like."I just had to say that you were quite impressive out there. Not everyone can boast about giving Miguel Aiman, the Magic Bullet of Dusk, an hard time."
"T-Thank you, sir..." Kira said hesitatingly. It was definitely not something he would be proud of... "I... just did what I had to do. If I hadn't taken command of that Mobile Suit, we would have died for sure. But... what's going to happen to us now?"
Mu sighed. He really dreaded that question. "That's a bit of a problem, kid... you guys weren't really supposed to see the G-Weapons, after all, and right now, you're the only one who could pilot the Strike. At least before we get to Atlantic Federation HQ and find a way to create a Natural-friendly OS..." he answered.
"Hold on a minute now!" Tolle intervened. "Are you suggesting that Kira keep on piloting that thing until we reach Alliance Headquarters? You can't just come up here and ask him to do so!"
"He's right!" Sai wanted to speak his mind as well. "We barely got out of that mess alive as it is..."
Natarle decided to voice her own concerns on the matter as she thought others were more fitting to operate the Strike. "Why don't you pilot it this time, Lieutenant La Flaga?" she asked the Hawk, knowing he would be more fitting to use the MS in the impending next battle.
"Are you crazy?! Listen, there's no way I can operate that thing!" countered Mu with a frown forming on his face, causing Natarle to be slightly surprised to hear him say that but he wasn't done. "Have you gone down and taken a look at what that kid did to the OS? A regular human couldn't possibly grasp it anymore."
"Then make him change it back to the…" Natarle stopped herself from finishing, especially as she decided to change the subject. "In any case, it seems inappropriate to put a civilian in charge of valuable military hardware, especially a Coordinator who's still just a kid."
"Then we should simply leave and offer ourselves as an easy target?" Mu asked the female Ensign, causing Murrue and Natarle to stay silent, knowing the Hawk made a valid point in the matter concerning the problem having no solution as of yet and there's no sense in arguing about it even further since it'll get them nowhere.
Mu took a breath, having expected this reaction. "I cannot blame you for thinking that way, but... the fact is, the Strike and the Dragonar units are, as of now, our best hope against the Giganos / ZAFT forces. And believe me; they will do their darndest to stop us from reaching Earth. They know full well that they've got the advantage thanks to technological superiority, while the Earth Union mostly relies on strength in numbers. If the know-how of both the G-Weapons and the D-Units gets to Earth, it could very well turn the tide of the war against them."
Despite his extreme reluctance to fight, Kira understood that the Lieutenant did have a good point. Even the Moebius Zero was no match with the stolen Gundams, and without the aid of both the Strike and the Dragonars, things were bound to get ugly pretty soon. However, he was still hesitant to take that step, especially as it would mean facing off against Athrun. "I..." he murmured. "I'm still not sure... I... need to think about this..."
"Well, not that I can criticize you for this." Mu answered. "However, I'd like you to keep in mind what I just told you... and by the way, what's the situation on the Idaho? Last I checked, they had boarded the Dragonars... but what of those kids piloting them?"
"We're getting a call from the Idaho just now." Neumann answered as he patched the communication through. On the comm. screen, the face of Earth Allaince Lieutenant Diana Lance, a woman in her thirties with a stern yet attractive demeanor and long, dark brown hair tied in a bun behind her head, appeared after a bit of static.
"Idaho here. Archangel, do you copy?" she asked, as soon as she was sure the link had been established.
Neumann cleared his throat. "Archangel here. We read you loud and clear. What's the onboard situation?"
Diana sighed. "We're in a bit of a bind right now. The Idaho just isn't big enough to contain all of the civilian we've rescued from the lifeboats... we would like to ask for your assistance in rescuing the evacuees." she stated. "More lifeboats are still floating around Heliopolis' ruins as we speak."
Natarle frowned. "That... will be difficult for us to do." she stated. "We're severely understaffed at the moment, and we are not allowed to bring civilians onboard a military craft in any case. These kids we've got with us at the moment are sort of an exception to the rule."
"But still... we cannot ignore that the refugees will be doomed if we don't do something about them." Murrue added. "So, as the acting captain of the Archangel, I say we should help them and bring as many as we can onboard."
"Captain, that's a breach in military protocol..." Natarle pointed out, by-the-book as she was. "And they're going to be in danger anyway, staying with us while we're being pursued by the Giganos and ZAFT forces."
"You've got a point here, Natarle, but they will die for sure if we don't do something to help them." the brown-haired Lieutenant answered. "So, I say we have some space to spare onboard the Archangel for them. Kira, are you willing to use the Strike to bring some of the lifeboats onboard?"
Kira did not show reluctance this time around. After all, it was a duty that hopefully didn't involve fighting. "Yes, ma'am, I will do that. I was... somewhat concerned about the civilians as well."
Natarle was a little dubious, but decided to let it slide for now. "If that is the case... the Archangel will slow down its engines and bring as many lifeboats as she can onboard. We thank you for your cooperation, Lt. Lance." she said, turning back to the screen.
"Likewise." Diane answered, managing a small smile. "I'm afraid I'll have to cut the communications here. There is some... unrest onboard the Idaho."
"Understandable..." Natarle stated. Here was another reason she was reluctant to bring civilians onboard. "We'll keep in touch to decide on a course of action. Over and out."
As the communication was interrupted, Kira began to make his way to the Strike, under the worried glances of his friends, and wondering whether Kain, Tapp and Light were going to be okay...
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Diana Lance was right. Unrest was the operative word for what was going on on the Idaho, as several civilians were loudly complaining about the treatment they were being given and the fact that their colony had been destroyed by an attack the Earth Alliance had pretty much brought on itself.
And sadly, Kain Wakaba was among the dissenters, albeit for more personal reasons...
"Dammit..." the D-1 pilot swore as the more cool-headed Tapp and Light tried to hold him off. "Hey, let me go, you two! My mother isn't among the rescued! I need to know where she is!"
"Please, calm down, Kain!" Light tried to assuage him. "The crew is already having their hands full trying to find places for all the refugees and treat the wounded, you can't just barge in and demand if they've seen your Mom anywhere. I understand that you're worried and all, but..."
"Then why don't you just let me go, dammit?" Kain exclaimed, pulling his arm free of his friend's restraint. "I've already been through Hell and back just to get out of this place alive, and now I find our colony being destroyed, and my mother is nowhere to be found! I've had quite enough of this shit, and I want some answers, now!"
"Well, kid, guess you'll have to stand in a line, 'cause you can plainly see you're not the only one!" a large, hulking military man in a red shirt, with mimetic trousers and black combat boots said as he approached the trio of Heliopolis teens with a rather threatening attitude. Jolted out of their squabbling, Kain, Tapp and Light jumped up in surprise and slowly turned to face the newcomer - standing well more than six feet tall, with impressive muscles and a very short and rather unkempt beard, his bald head half-hidden by a blue beret, the man was looking at them in disapproval, his arms crossed in front of his chest, and his stern black eyes affixed on the rebellious Kain. Needless to say, the sudden appearance of such a huge and threatening person caused the three of them to immediately stop quarreling and stand on attention!
"Ack! We... we apologize, sir! We were... er... having a little misunderstanding, is all!" Tapp hastily explained, as a large sweatdrop poured down the back of his head. The huge man frowned and wrinkled his nose as he stared at the three of them, causing Kain and his friends to chuckle sheepishly and take a step backwards.
"Well, ya better make sure you can work well together, kids... 'cause those babies you brought on board - and by that I mean the Dragonar units - are useless to us without you three to pilot them! Thanks to your little stunt..." he cleared his throat and pointed at the three D-Units standing in a nearby hangar. "The onboard computers of the Dragonars only recognize you three as the designated pilots, and until we can crack the system open and understand how the hell it works, you're stuck on piloting duty. Tough cookies, kids, that's just the way it is."
"Hey, what's the damage with you, old man?" Kain answered, not in the mood for getting jerked around. "You're asking us to pilot those things again, after we barely escaped alive from our engagement? We're not even affiliated with the Earth Alliance, so we owe you nothing, is that clear?"
The bulky Earth Alliance officer was not impressed in the least. "Alright, kid... if you wanna be stubborn, here's the bottom line: as it happens, you wouldn't be piloting those little jewels just to please me and my superior... and God knows that I'd give my right arm to be able to ride one of them... There's the little fact that if this ship goes down, you and all the refugees go down with her, and I don't think you want that, do you?"
Kain grit his teeth... but he had to reluctantly admit that what the man was saying was reasonable, which sadly meant that he, Tapp and Light were stuck being the pilots for the Dragonar units until the whole mess could be sorted out. So, with a heavy sigh, he acknowledged his defeat and stood down. "Ugh... okay, whatever you say, old man... we'll pilot those things for the time being, but that doesn't mean you get to boss us around, is that clear?"
The large man grinned in satisfaction. "Actually, my dear boy, it does... as temporary Dragonar pilots, you are now subject to the military code of the Earth Union, and I just happen to be your superior in this case. Oh, and before you even think of calling me 'old man' again, I'd like to inform you that my name is Ben Rooney... Sergeant Ben Rooney, to be exact... and when I say that you jump, I expect you three to JUMP!" He raised his voice at the last words, causing all three of them to stand to attention with a startled yell!
"Gee, just our luck. Running into a drill sergeant right during our first minute as enrolled pilots..." Tapp lamented.
"Hm. That's kinda better already." Ben grunted, his arms once again crossed in front of himself. "Now, I think you'd do better to help the rest of the crew with maintaining the ship. We are quite understaffed as it is, and every little bit helps. Do be ready to depart as soon as the Giganos goons rear their ugly heads, though."
"Yes, sir!" Light exclaimed, speaking for all three of them. The huge Sergeant nodded and walked away to assist another group of workers, and the three teens, relieved to be finally rid of the large man's disquieting presence, walked away from the hangars and into a nearby corridor, trying to reach a room where their help could be needed.
"Man, talk about your horrible day..." Kain murmured. "First under attack by those Giganos psychos... and then we're drafted into the Earth Union army to fight a war I couldn't give less of a damn about! And I still don't have half a clue where my mother is... and Kira and the others are on the other ship, with those other military loonies forcing them to fix their shit. Things are looking up, I guess!"
"It still doesn't make sense to me..." Tapp sighed. "So, Light, you're basically saying that the Dragonars and the G-Weapons have been built with the consent of the Orb government? What did you mean when you said that things are a little more complicated than they looked?"
"Oh, right. About that..." Light remembered, trying to continue the reasoning he had already started right before the attack had started. "Well, as I said, there are a few more factors in play. You were right, Tapp, when you said that there was no way Lord Uzumi Nara Athha could have had these weapons built for the Earth Alliance. It is well known that he despises the Earth Alliance's top brass, and the Principality of Orb's policy of neutrality is ironclad."
Kain frowned. Light had a point, things were getting a lot more convoluted than he had thought. "Hold on a sec, Light... are you trying to say that someone had the Gundams and the Dragonars built behind Lord Uzumi's back?"
"Why not? It's a completely feasible assumption, considering the amount of resources the Five Noble Houses of Orb have at their disposal..." the blond answered. "And if you're wondering who that might be, I already have a couple of names I can think of. Either the Sahakus or the Seirans could be the masterminds behind all of this... and possibly both."
Kain and Tapp noticeably winced at that. Neither of them liked the Seiran family, especially the designated heir Yuna Roma Seiran... and the Sahakus were little better in their books. The latter seemed to be an especially obvious answer to their questions, now that they thought carefully about it... it was no secret that the head of the Sahaku family, Rondo Ghina, had always pursued a policy of closer collaboration with the Earth Alliance, and his twin sister Rondo Mina, while more moderate, wasn't really all that different.
"This is bad..." Tapp answered. "In other words, we're stuck in this situation because someone in the Noble Houses of Orb is on a power trip..."
"In a nutshell, I guess that would be the case..." Light nodded. "In any event, while I admire the guy as a politician and a human being, Uzumi was naive to think Orb could have stayed out of the war. This incident did nothing but speed up the inevitable, really."
Kain rubbed his chin as the trio entered a large hangar that had been converted into a makeshift medical room, with several stretchers strewn here and there as more injured were being brought in, and the able-bodied rushed back and forth to give them treatment. "I see what you mean..." he said, glad to have gotten at least part of the picture. "Orb is one of the few places where Coordinators are not discriminated against, and could become an important piece in the struggle. Either the Earth Alliance will try to force Uzumi to relinquish his neutrality, or ZAFT will."
"That's pretty much what I was saying." Light said. "As soon as we have some spare time, we need to speak with Kira and the others about this... but now, I guess we have some more urgent work to do. There are quite a few injured around here..."
Kain winced as he saw the many injured civilians and soldiers laying here and there on the former hangar's floor. Much as he protested for his own situation, he was forced to face the fact that he had been lucky to be still alive and mobile, and suddenly felt ashamed at throwing a temper tantrum while other people might have needed his help. "Well... when you put it this way, Light... let's put aside all the political talk for now, and let's try to do something for these people." he said, turning to a couple of young girls who were walking back and forth to gather as many medical supplies as they could. "Say, miss... might we lend you a hand with helping these people?"
The taller of the two girls, a beautiful blonde about Kain's age, with long hair tied in a ponytail and bright blue eyes, giving her a somewhat frosty countenance, turned to the Heliopolis teen. "Well, it's about time they sent us someone to help us... things are getting out of control here!" she said, allowing Kain to take a better look at her. She was dressed quite elegantly, with a light blue cardigan over a white shirt, a knee-length blue skirt, and white shoes over knee-high white socks. Her hair was tied in a ponytail with a pink ribbon, and a pretty golden necklace with a small emerald embedded in its center was hanging from her neck, probably a memento of someone dear to her.
"You can start by gathering a few supplies and placing them in the center of the medical room, right there. Of course, make sure they're in the proper order." she instructed Kain, handing him the supplies without even waiting for him to speak. "Also... We're receiving an overload of injured people, and we need to have a lot more disinfectants, bandages and the like to deal with all of them... so if you'd be so kind as to try and gather as many of those things as you can, we'd be deeply grateful."
"Well... I've never done such work before, but I don't think that will be difficult, now can it?" Kain jokingly asked, his previous concerns seemingly put aside for the moment. "And besides... it's a pleasure to help a fair lady such as you! By the way, my name is Kain Wakaba... may I know yours?"
The blonde girl sighed. From where she was standing, this looked like another guy who was trying to hit on her... but she saw no reason to be rude to him either. At least, this guy actually seemed to care about helping the injured. "I'm Linda... and my friend here is Rose!" she said as she motioned to the girl helping her, a petite brunette with somewhat childish features, sporting short hair and bright brown eyes, wearing a yellow short-sleeves shirt with blue shorts, and black shoes on ankle-tall pink socks. The girl named Rose stopped for a moment to smile and wave at the boys, winking at them.
"Pleased to meetcha, guys!" Rose introduced herself. "And... yes, my name is Rose, Rose Patterson. I'm glad you stopped to help us!"
This time, it was Tapp's turn to step forward. "No problem at all, Rose, it was our pleasure! By the way, my name is Tapp... Tapp Oceano!" the boy of color introduced himself with a toothy grin. "And from now on, at least until we reach Earth, I and my friends Kain Wakaba and Light Newman will be the pilots of the new Earth Alliance weapons, the Dragonars!"
"But for the time being... we'll be more than happy to help you with managing the ship! Right, Light?" Kain added, giving a thumbs-up to his blond friend.
Rose seemed to be quite happy at the news. "Wow, for real? That's amazing, we'll be working alongside real military pilots!" she exclaimed. "Doesn't that feel incredible?"
"Er... whatever you say, Rose..." Linda stated uneasily. Since she had never liked weapons and the military, how Rose could be so excited was beyond her...
Light, on the other hand, was chuckling to himself at how his friends' efforts seemed to have doubled as soon as they had seen they would be working around two pretty girls in their same age group...
"Well, what do you know..." he mused to himself. "Looks like our pretty Linda and Rose here had an invigorating effect on our bold heroes! Oh well... not that it's a bad things, of course!"
With that, Light followed his friends and the two girls as they resumed their work...
oooooooooo
Rau was in his office, not exactly thrilled with the outcome of the mission but nevertheless they had an operation that needed to be completed. "Athrun Zala reporting in." he heard the blue-haired male redcoat and gestured for him to enter since it seemed the younger man wanted to have a word with him in private concerning the matter of the Strike.
"I was hoping to speak with you earlier, but I've been rather busy" said Rau, turning his attention towards Defense Chairman Zala's only son as there might be more to this meeting than he originally thought though best to do so without causing problems among the others since Rusty's death was a minor snag. "This Heliopolis incident has caused a lot of fuss."
Remaining silent, Athrun was certain that there was a lot more to it than it appeared, and thought it would be a good idea to inform his commanding officer about that. "I am curious to hear your explanation now that we have the time to discuss matters, Athrun" Rau spoke again, which in turn made the young man think carefully on what he needed to say. "I gather you and Shiho were near that machine when it was activated."
"Yes, sir..." Athrun began. He cleared his throat, quickly chose his words and clarified. "When I and Shiho confronted that Earth Alliance officer with the Strike, there was another person there... a civilian... and a friend of mine, from when I was going to school in Copernicus. His name is Kira Yamato, and he's a first-generation Coordinator."
"Is that so?"
Athrun shook his head. "I have no idea... but still, I'm sure he was Kira alright. We were the best of friends, back when we went to Copernicus, but when the war broke out, we pretty much lost all contact." he answered.
Rau seemed to ponder Athrun's words for a moment. "I understand. Well, if that is the case, I think you can be excused from our next sortie against the Legged Ship and the Idaho. I cannot ask you to fight against your best friend, after all."
"Actually, Commander Le Creuset..." Athrun answered politely. "I... I would like to request permission to sortie for our next engagement. I know how Kira is, and I'm sure he's just being manipulated by the Naturals. If I can convince him to abandon them and turn over to ZAFT, I think that would be a preferable outcome for us."
Le Creuset could not argue with that logic. "Well, Athrun, when you put it this way, I see no reason why I should forbid you from trying. Furthermore, capturing the last remaining G-Weapon would certainly be better than just destroying it. Very well, then. Permission granted. However, should you fail to persuade him; would you be able to shoot him down?"
Athrun felt his heart skip a beat, but quickly steeled himself. "I... I will." he answered.
"I'm sorry, Kira. But I have a duty to perform." he thought to himself, hoping with all his heart it wouldn't come down to that.
oooooooooo
On the Archangel, at that very same moment, Miriallia Haw and the other refugees from Kira's group in Heliopolis were watching as the Strike Gundam elegantly glided back in the hangars, holding another lifeboat. So far, the young boy had managed to save and bring onboard quite a few escape pods, and this one was the last they could afford to bring onboard. He wished there was a way to save all the others, too... but unfortunately, it seemed they were destined to wait there for a chance that another Earth Alliance vessel might find them and rescue them.
With extreme care, Kira laid the latest lifeboat he had recovered on the deck. The hatch almost immediately slid open, allowing the civilians out, among them a pretty girl with long red hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a pink dress, who immediately started looking around herself in a rather confused way. As the Archangel personnel began guiding the other survivors to the main bridge, where they'd later be relocated, the redhead and two girls her same age - that is to say, around 15-16 years old - stayed near the open lifeboat, apparently waiting as the Strike Gundam powered down and its cockpit opened. As soon as she saw Kira descending towards the ground in pursuit of the mechanical bird that came out of his shirt, she immediately rushed him and enveloped him in a tight hug, much to the violet-eyed Coordinator's surprise.
"I know you!" she exclaimed as her two friends caught up with her. "You're one of Sai's friends from Heliopolis, right?"
Kira blinked, recognizing the girl he had a crush on... and that, sadly, was already engaged to his friend Sai... Something he and the others were currently unaware of at this moment. "F-Flay? Is that you?" he asked, wonder mixed with relief.
Flay looked up and nodded, fear and confusion still evident in her dark brown eyes. "Yes... I, Misha and Jessica managed to reach a shelter when the alarm sounded, but we have no idea what happened... what's this place we're in? And is it true that ZAFT and Giganos attacked us?"
Kira nodded sadly. "Yes... sadly, that's the case..." he answered as he looked as the three girls gathered in front of him. "I found myself forced to pilot that Mobile Suit, while Kain, Tapp and Light escaped thanks to another group of mobile weapons... and as of now, they're on the Idaho, the ship that's travelling with us."
"But... how is that possible?" Misha asked. "I... I mean, we were neutral and all... how come they attacked us?"
"It's... a little long to explain." was Kira's only answer. "And I don't think I have all the details as of yet... but suffice to say, the Gundam I was piloting and the Metal Armors Kain, Tapp and Light have boarded are the main cause of this."
Flay was quite surprised at that. "The Gundam? The Metal Armors? But... isn't this a ZAFT ship?" she exclaimed. "How can they be here, if it wasn't?"
"Don't worry... the Strike Gundam has been built under orders from the Earth Alliance military, and the Dragonar units were stolen from Giganos Empire by EU forces." Kira reassured her. "For now, we're in friendly territory. Come, I'll take you to the main bridge... Sai will be relieved to meet you again!"
Flay nodded as she, Misha and Jessica followed Kira and Birdy out of the hangar, hopeful that their problems were heading to a close, and completely unaware that, not very far away from the Archangel and the Idaho's location, the enemy was already cooking up a plan to cut off their escape...
However, there was one last civilian helped out of the lifeboat… and it happened to be none other than the blonde-haired girl whom Kira had pushed into the shelter back at the factory and the moment she saw Kira leading Flay, Jessica and Misha out of the MS hanger, her eyes widened in shock upon recognizing him.
"That's the jerk from who stuffed me in that shelter back at the factory district, why is he here…?!" she thought to herself as her expression changed to anger before following the group of teens as she wanted to give the brown-haired Coordinator a piece of her mind.
oooooooooo
A little later, onboard the Vesalius, the Le Creuset Team was already prepared and waiting to meet their allies coming from Giganos Empire HQ. Much to their relief, they didn't have to wait for long before they were given the message that Captain Meio Plato and his team had joined up with the Giganos / ZAFT fleet, and Rau Le Creuset gave his underlings one last examination before nodding in satisfaction and walking to the door of the conference room to meet the newcomers. The five redcoats were all standing in a perfect line near the entrance of the room, joined by Miguel Aiman and his wingmen, the two having returned from the Gamow, and they all maintained an air of composure as they waited.
One minute later, the entrance slid open, and the man they all were waiting for appeared from behind it, already garbed in the decorated uniform of a high-ranking Giganos officer. At about 25 years of age, Meio Plato, the "Blue Falcon" of Giganos was the youngest Giganos officer to ever have attained such a rank, thanks in no small part to his impressive piloting and strategical skill, and the ruthless efficiency with which he carried out any mission. And meeting him in person could easily confirm this first impression: tall, robust but not bulky, with short and neatly combed beige hair and icy blue eyes, Meio Plato looked indeed the part of a staunch and loyal soldier, especially now that he was at the head of three lower-ranking Giganos soldiers, three teenagers wearing the standardized blue Giganos piloting suit and holding their helmets under their right arms. As the four Giganos soldier stood just outside the meeting room, they all stood to attention and exchanged a formal salute with Rau.
"Captain Meio Plato, of the Imperial Guard of Giganos Empire." Meio introduced himself in a clear, assured voice. "As of orders from my superior, I and my squad are here to assist your team in retrieving the stolen Dragonar units and the last remaining Gundam. Accompanying me are Ensigns Dan Kruger, Werner Fritz and Karl Geiner." He took a quick look behind him, pointing his glance at each one of his underlings as he named them. The three of them looked all very similar to each other, as they all dressed in an identical way. Only the color of their hair distinguished them - dark blue and cut short for Dan, reddish brown and somewhat long for Werner, and blond and messy for Karl. "From now on, we'll be at your disposition, Commander Rau Le Creuset."
Rau nodded in satisfaction and motioned for the four Giganos officers to enter the room, where the young ZAFT pilots were already saluting. "It is indeed an honor to have you along for this operation, Captain Plato." the masked commander stated. "As your reputation of a loyal and skilled leader, as well as an excellent soldier, precedes you. We are sure that your assistance will prove invaluable in retrieving the Dragonars and the last of the G-Weapons."
"I thank you for your praise, though I consider myself unworthy of it." Meio stoically answered as he surveyed the well-ordered pilots of the Le Creuset Team. All of them, especially Athrun and Shiho, gave him the impression of being people who knew what they were doing, despite their young age. "And I can see that the pilots of your team all seem very motivated. Which is good, we will need this spirit in order to achieve our goal."
"We are all honored to be counting on your aid, Captain Meio Plato." Athrun stated, stepping forward to meet the Giganos captain. "I am Athrun Zala, second-in-command of this team."
Meio nodded as he answered with another salute. "Hmm... yes, I've heard quite a bit about you and your companions. You have all been selected among many of your peers to don the red coat of the ZAFT forces, a symbol of skill and valor. And as for Miguel Aiman and his wingmen, word of your deeds has reached Giganos as well, and I'm glad to be counting on you."
Miguel, Olor and Matthew all nodded. "We thank you for your praise, Captain Meio Plato." the Magic Bullet of Dusk answered. "We will do our best to assist in this mission. We still have a score to settle with the pilot of the Strike, in any event."
The three ensigns standing behind Meio were not as impressed, though... and Dan did not resist the temptation of making an offhanded comment to his teammates. "Meh... color me indifferent. If they didn't manage to stop the Strike Gundam and the Dragonars from escaping Heliopolis, then they must not be that hot, right?"
Werner chuckled arrogantly. "Hehee... well, what can you expect? I'm sure they were only made redcoats because their parents are in the Council, after all... a shame about Rusty Mackenzie though…"
Meio, overhearing the whispered conversation, clapped his hands and glared severely at his three underlings, causing them to drop the topic and stand on attention. "Karl, Werner, Dan! I don't recall ever giving you permission to make snide remarks on our allies or about their late comrade. You have not seen them in a real battle anyway, so I'd advise you to concentrate on your own performance."
"Er..." Werner stammered. "We... apologize, Captain Plato! It... won't happen again!"
"See to it that it doesn't." Meio sternly warned, before turning back to Rau and the rest of his squadron. "I apologize on behalf of the ensigns. They are loyal Giganos soldiers, but sometimes their zeal can lead them astray."
Rau did not seem to mind that much, anyway. "There is no need to apologize for that, Captain Plato." he answered. "I understand that youth and enthusiasm can bring people to be rash, but I am sure your men meant no ill will to us. Well then, since introductions are out of the way, we should discuss our plans to recover the G-Weapon and the D-Units."
"Indeed." Meio commented as the Le Creuset Team and the Giganos team sat at the table in the middle of the room. "The Strike Gundam and the Dragonars have been built with revolutionary new technologies that make them a lot more advanced than anything the Earth Alliance has fielded until now, including the infamous RX-78 Gundam. Even a mediocre pilot would turn into a serious threat when boarding those flawless machines. It is just our luck that the other four G-Weapons are in our hands."
"On that topic," Le Creuset stated, before turning to Shiho. "I have arranged for a new CGUE model to be shipped to the Vesalius alongside Miguel's customized GINN as the repairs to the latter machine should be completed by now. And you, Shiho, have been selected as that new unit's designated pilot. The CGUE Deep Arms will serve you well in the coming battles, I trust."
The only girl in the Le Creuset Team smiled slightly and nodded in gratitude. "I thank you for your efforts, Commander Le Creuset. I will do my best to bring down the Strike and redeem my previous failure as well as avenge Rusty's death." she stated, earning herself a rather disapproving glance from Yzak.
"And I thank you for your aid in repairing my GINN." Miguel added. "I trust it will allow me to perform better against the Strike and the D-Units."
"As for the Duel, it is undergoing upgrades so it'll be better prepared for the next sortie" said Rau, referring to a new armor based off the Assault Shroud that was usually equipped onto the GINN or the CGUE as to the masked commander, the Duel was an impressive machine much like the other G-Project Mobile Suits but with the new equipment being mounted, it'll make the Gundam even more lethal in battle. "I trust that you'll be able to use it well, Yzak."
"Yes, sir!" Yzak saluted to his superior officer, determined to finish the Strike off with the new equipment the Duel was being given.
"Very well." Meio continued the conversation. "Now, as for the strategy for attacking the so-called legged ship and the Idaho... do we have an inkling of their presumed destination?"
"Indeed we do." Le Creuset answered. "Artemis would be their best bet, but we're keeping a close eye on all nearby stations as well. At the moment, we're pursuing them, and hopefully we'll get them before they reach Artemis... but just in case, we'd better elaborate a strategy to get through Artemis' protective shield."
Nicol raised his hand. "If I may intervene, Commander Le Creuset... I have studied the Blitz' features and I can propose a plan that has some solid possibilities of working..."
oooooooooo
The space around Heliopolis had been turned into a sea of debris, twisted metal and tragic remains of what, up until a few hours before, had been a peaceful space city, with countless houses wrecked, pieces of steel and concrete listlessly floating around, and the occasional memento that something human had once been living there, such as a wrecked car or a crooked lamppost that had somehow survived the impact with Giganos' Mass Driver shot. Still, amidst all this tragedy, someone was at work to salvage what was left usable... and at that moment, inside an hangar that had been mostly untouched by the blast by sheer luck, a working robot was rummaging through the debris, in order to find something...
"Man, talk about a mess they've done..." the young pilot of the labor machine murmured to himself. "It'll take ages to find something usable around here... assuming there is something left, that is..."
Standing at the commands of the working robot was a young man of about eighteen years with light brown hair standing on his head in a rather weird style, a light blue band on his forehead, and wearing a light yellow, sleeveless jacket over a blue working shirt, not to mention old blue jeans and trainers - Lowe Gear, a young mechanic and member of the non-governmental organization called Junk Guild, was already getting annoyed with having to rummage through what seemed to be a mass graveyard, and he would have called it quits too... had it not been for him suddenly seeing something half-hidden by the debris. His curiosity sparked, he quickly maneuvered his robot to the place and quickly moved the debris in order to get a clear view... opening his mouth is surprise and shock when he discovered two Mobile Suits buried amongst the rubble, dirtied but still workable and mostly intact! They looked like Gundams, one with a red-and-white color scheme and the other very similar but the only real difference being that it sported a deep blue color on its chest, arms, legs and feet, contrasting with the red hue in the same places of the other Gundam... it sure was a treasure for someone like him, and his previous uninterested turned to joy and excitement!
"Hey, hold on a sec... is this what I think it is?" Lowe told himself, his fist clenched in front of him in a victory gesture. "Man, these babies look like Gundams alright! I must be the luckiest bastard this side of Mars! Though I have to ask myself what such beauties were doing here... oh, no matter! Wait until the Professor and the others get a load of this!"
Blinded by his excitement, Lowe lowered his pod in order to enter the blue Gundam's cockpit... upon doing so, he sat inside and had the AI that he brought with him make sure that everything was in working order. "8! Run a system check!" he instructed the small AI as it complied with 'System Check: Go' before proceeding with the analysis check.
As he saw the screen booting up, the information available made the young man grin at seeing that the Mobile Suit was in proper condition both internally and externally. "Looks like it works!" he said to himself, knowing that he will need to bring both Mobile Suits back onboard the HOME once the one he's operating was online. "It's even got a shield and a beam rifle!"
Unfortunately his thoughts were interrupted when he heard 8 giving out an alarm that got his attention. "Huh?!" he wondered in disbelief as the image changed to reveal the face of a lovely woman with long flowing wavy red hair and wore a lab coat over a reddish-orange outfit, the look of concern in her eyes was a sign that there was trouble.
"There's a Mobile Armor headed your way!"
"Wait what?!" muttered Lowe in complete dismay at hearing a single Mobile Armor was approaching the scene right now and suspected there was someone else who wanted these two Mobile Suits. "Is it another Junk Tech?"
The woman shook her head with a frown on her face as she fixed her glasses a bit. "No, it's a mercenary. Fully armed, he's got a boatload of weaponry" she replied back, feeling that their only chance of surviving was to steer clear of this enemy no matter what happens. "Don't fight him."
"Great…8, let's get on it!" he said to himself, knowing he needed to at least lure the mercenary out of the area that the red MS was located since there's a chance he would be followed and without thought, he immediately began booting the blue MS' systems up with the OS revealing the same startup system the Strike had. "The Kimera isn't built for combat but the Blue Frame is!"
MBF-P03 GUNDAM ASTRAY BLUE FRAME
Grabbing the beam rifle and the shield, Lowe managed to slowly get the blue Mobile Suit out of its restraints and onto its feet then quickly headed off in search of any suspicious movement from the other side of the abandoned hangar. Its speed, handle and maneuverability were far above anything he had ever piloted before, and it was clear that this wasn't your run-of-the-mill grunt Mobile Suit. Of course, this raised several other questions, but this wasn't the time to wonder about that… "This thing actually works, and it handles like nothing I've ever seen!"
While searching around, he quickly looked in front of him and discovered that it was indeed the Mobile Armor appearing out of the shadows! Much to his surprise, Lowe saw that it was a Moebius, but with a gatling cannon instead of the linear cannon used by most other Moebiuses or even the Moebius Zero itself. "There you are! Take this!" he yelled, firing a single shot of the Blue Frame's beam rifle but to his dismay, the lone Moebius evaded and countered with a hellfire of bullets.
Fortunately, the Blue Frame raised its shield to avoid being gunned down as it's clear that Lowe didn't want to scratch the MS's fresh paint job though he was having a bit of trouble in operating the Gundam he was in. "He avoided that beam rifle blast! What the hell?!" Lowe asked himself with a curse; having a feeling the mercenary was quite skilled in using the Moebius and then something hit him. "He didn't hesitate to fire. That means he's not interested in the MS."
That thought wasn't going to save him as the Moebius was once again advancing, in a threatening gesture... and the young man needed to take it down fast before things got even more hellish than they already were. "Well he might be pretty handy in battle but I bet he's never faced a genius like me before!" he continued to himself, feeling he could use this to his advantage if he played his cards right. "I'm gonna make sure he remembers this fight!"
Positioning the Blue Frame at a specific part of the hanger, the Moebius soon proceeded in making its move and Lowe, having already exited the cockpit held his hands up so to make its pilot think he was surrendering but had something else in store. "Huh?" a young voice belonging to the one operating the Moebius wondered as he suspected that it was a trap.
"8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…" Lowe counted down as the Moebius slowly approached him, once it was close enough, it was now or never. "Now, 8!"
Complying with Lowe's command, the AI fired the Blue Frame's beam rifle and caught the mercenary off-guard as the blast managed to drill itself right into the MA like a hot knife through butter but thanks to his quick thinking, he managed to eject from the Moebius just moments before the shot made contact much to Lowe's dismay. "Impossible!" he silently muttered a curse, seeing the pilot using the debris and ceiling to move towards him. "This guy's unreal!"
"That was a decent plan."
"Damn..." Lowe muttered to himself, gritting his teeth as the enemy mercenary was holding both his arms and having him pinned in zero gravity. "What do you want?"
The mercenary in question was unfazed by the comment then figured that he should at least tell the young Junk Tech. "I'm going to destroy that Mobile Suit" he answered with a stern expression on his face.
oooooooooo
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's Note: Well, did you expect that little surprise at the end? Stay tuned for more! ^_^
PS: Yes, I decided to have Cagalli onboard the Archangel much sooner than canon while Gai will be in his custom Moebius before stealing the Blue Frame from Lowe. Figured that I'd do something a little different for the rewritten version of the story plus I like Cagalli and felt she needed some more love.